This post is sponsored by Kimberly-Clark. All opinions and statements are my own.
For caregivers, life can get so jam-packed with doing that we often lose sight that we are supposed to be living. I believe caregivers won’t FIND time for themselves, they must CREATE the time for their health and happiness. One way to create time is to simplify our regular responsibilities.
Our plates are overflowing with tasks related to our jobs, home, care recipients, pets and kids that it’s a struggle to carve out time for ourselves. I observed my mom living a life of doing and watched her burn out. Her burnout led to her personal health decline. It didn’t take me long to figure out that if I didn’t decide what I could simplify or give up, I too may experience unwanted consequences like seeing my personal health decline or realizing the deterioration of my most valuable relationships.
I wanted to be the one who intentionally decided what tasks to give up and simplify so that I could take back more time for myself and my relationships. One of the routine tasks that has evolved over the years has been grocery shopping.
The Essentials for our Care Recipients
My husband Jason and I overlapped as primary caregivers for our mothers. We completely identify with the woes of parents in the sandwich generation – there was no escape from feeling the squeeze of caring for our aging parents while raising our children. We often did the shopping for our moms and they had their trusted and favorite items. Some of these items we’d buy in bulk because otherwise we’d be not only shopping for our own family weekly but also making multiple trips for them.
My mom took Lasik to help with her edema and she would spend hours of her day in the bathroom or on her portable bedside toilet. We used a combination of Poise pads and Depend underwear to help her stay comfortable and went through lots of these supplies! I used to joke that we should have bought stock in Poise. We also had her supplies tucked everywhere – in her purse, in her on-the-go tote bag, in the organizer on her walker and of course next to the toilet. Then, we stored the backup supplies in her bedroom closet or under her bed. You get the idea of how vital these products were not only for mom’s sanity…but mine!
Life would unravel when our moms didn’t have their trusted products. We dreaded those types of phone calls. Especially the ones when mom was out of her must have incontinence products.
At Costco, some of the items for mom I’d buy included:
- Poise® Ultimate Absorbency Pads for bladder leaks
- Depend FIT-FLEX Max Absorbency Underwear, designed for discreet protection
- Cottonelle® FreshCare® Flushable Wipes for a confident clean
Part of my routine when I would visit mom was to restock the various spots and see if we needed to pick up more on our next trip to Costco. I usually had a running list of the products mom would need in my phone’s ‘notepad’ app. This way I always had my list with me if I found I needed to make an unplanned trip.
Simplify by Delegating
One of the suggestions I often provide to other family caregivers is to delegate their family and caregiving responsibilities. It’s simply not possible to do everything on our own. On the weekends, after a gym workout, my husband usually makes the Costco shopping trip. While I certainly enjoy shopping at Costco – it’s best that Jason goes. I love to mosey up and down the center aisles and find myself captivated by all the books and clothing. Before I know it my cart with items, I didn’t know I needed. Jason has more self-control (at least in Costco!).
Self-Care Products for Health & Happiness
Our bulk items have evolved over the years as our eating habits have become healthier. Peeking in our Costco shopping cart now and you’ll see we are stocked up on our healthy favorites like organic vegetables, grass-fed beef, pistachio nuts, and healthy supplements…and yet many of our trusted tried and true personal items remain.
Of course, you’ll still always find a rotisserie chicken and maybe the occasional fresh cut flowers – just because they make me happy!
November is National Family Caregivers Month
Good news! We have the whole month of November dedicated to honoring those of us who provide care to family members. Every year, the Caregiver Action Network (CAN) picks a theme and this year’s theme is #BeCareCurious. I’m excited to partner with Kimberly-Clark on this journey.
Do you follow the Happy Healthy Caregiver Facebook page? Be sure you are so that you won’t miss the upcoming Costco gift card giveaway.
